NaNoWriMo 2010 - Nov 12&13
Eventually I'll name the tribes. >__>
Nov 12: 562
Nov 13: 673
Total: 17353
Aislin couldn't quite believe it, even though she'd been expecting that sort of news when she went home (if she went home? But she couldn't admit that to herself), but it was still hard to believe. Cahir simply couldn't be that persuasive. He was just one man, who happened to be able to use magic, and sneaky about it.
“I'm so glad you're here,” Aislin whispered and leaned forward to kiss him. He returned it, and soon she was blushing furiously. “Shhh! I'd be mortified if we woke anyone up.” Right on cue, Eydis rolled over noisily, mumbling in her sleep. “We should go to sleep.” She hugged him again. “We can talk tomorrow.” And she couldn't resist adding as they both settled down into their bedding, “I can't believe you're here again.”
The next morning over breakfast, Silas asked casually when the mountain passes would be properly clear.
“Going east?” Dagny replied. “Not for a couple months. Frankly, I don't know how you made it over without getting caught in a storm. STORMGODDESS must have been away, or Svetlana sheltering you. Going west is easier.”
“I'll be going that way soon,” Birgir said. “I should return to my tribe and tell of Mikkel.” A moment of silence descended, broken by Silas.
“Might Aislin and I join you?” he asked. “I would like to continue west.”
Birgir looked at him, considering, then nodded. “Two storytellers are always welcome, both on the journey and in my tribe.”
Eydis stood up and went to confer with her mother. Judging by their gestures, there was some disagreement, but Eydis won out. When she returned she too asked to join, “Would another warrior be welcome on your journey? I believe that it is time for me to travel and learn the ways of others and how to fight and hunt away from my tribe.” From her emphasis, it was clear that her mother didn't share the opinion. Nevertheless, Birgir agreed promptly with a smile.
“We will have to wait for the snows to clear sufficiently, but I anticipate that it will be no more than a few weeks. Am I right, Espen?” The shape changer nodded.
Eydis gave a little dance of happiness. “I've been looking for an excuse to go traveling for months. Years. Mother always said I was too young, or it wasn't safe,” she whispered excitedly to Aislin, who merely smiled at her enthusiasm.
“Later we should return to - our home,” Silas told Aislin. She frowned a little, hearing the catch where he nearly called it Tirhaine, but nodded.
“Soon, before Cahir can do too much more damage,” she said. “I can't believe a liar like that is the best we can have for a king. I refuse to live anywhere he rules, or pretends to rule.”
“You could just as easily fulfill that by living with us,” Birgir pointed out with a smile. “Cahir could never rule here, especially not with your warning about him.”
“I... suppose,” Aislin admitted. “I never thought about that. But it isn't home. There's too many mountains. And it's far too cold.”
They all laughed, for her hatred of the cold and snow, and perpetual inability to get properly warm in her opinion was well known after the winter.
Birgir and Espen's estimates were very accurate, impressing Aislin. Then again, she knew the pattern of rains and when spring was and the best time to pick fruit and plant trees to within a few days, so it shouldn't be a surprise that they knew the storms in their area so well.
Once again, Dagny's arrival interrupted her reading to tell her that Birgir was getting ready to leave later that day, perhaps tomorrow, and Aislin was scrambling to pack and be ready so she didn't slow down the others. This time, however, she was traveling with friends, and with Silas, not leaving Silas and all her family and friends to travel with strangers and hope they took her in out of the kindness of their hearts.
By the time she was packed and looking at her bag, she was already starting to miss FIRSTTRIBE that she had spent the winter with. She was glad Eydis and Birgir would be coming with her, but she'd miss Espen and Dagny and the others she'd gotten to know over the long months cooped up inside with nothing to do but trade stories.
Despite her speed, she was still the last one packed. Eydis had practically started packing three weeks ago, and Birgir had brought nothing with him. His packing consisted of asking people if he could borrow traveling supplies, and he had done that in the past few weeks. Silas had far more experience that she did packing quickly, living most of his life on the road.
It was a bright, clear and very cold noon when they set out. This close to the end of winter, the sun still set very soon, according to Birgir, and he was hoping to get to a shelter he knew of before the light went away. Aislin was shivering despite her bundles of clothes.
"Don't worry, you'll warm up once we get going," Eydis told her, which Aislin didn't find too comforting. Eydis was right, however, and by the time they climbed out of the valley she was unbuttoning layers and throwing back her hood, only to button back up when the went around a corner
"How far have you traveled before?" Aislin asked Eydis. "You said you wanted to travel and learn to be a hunter and warrior."
"Not far enough!" exclaimed Eydis, her cheeks flushed from excitement more than the climb. To anyone that grew up here, it was a barely noticeable incline, but to Aislin it was more than enough to get her heart going fast.
Eydis continued, "I've hunted some within a day or two's travel from home, but not much past that. There is enough game around that we rarely have to leave, and trade brings in much of the rest. Or that's what Espen says when he's talking to outsiders who travel more than we do."
Birgir was listening in and added, "My tribe travels much more than FIRSTTRIBE does, for food is not as abundant as it is here. However, I think our winter settlement is much better than yours." He grinned at Eydis' outraged expression. "You'll see what I mean when we get there."
"What? What's special about it?" Eydis demanded. "It doesn't have Espen or anyone else from here, so it can't be as awesome."
Birgir laughed at her outrageous defense of home. "Surely you've heard stories. SECONDTRIBE, remember?"
Eydis had a blank look on her face for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "Ohhhh! Well, maybe yours is better than ours in some small way. Aislin would like it better certainly."
"Like it better how? Is it warmer?"
Eydis laughed and shook her head. "You'll see when you get there."
And despite repeated asking over the next week, Aislin couldn't get anything else out of them about Birgir's more typical wintering home.
The journey was thankfully uneventful, in Aislin's opinion, though she knew that Eydis yearned for adventure. Silas charmed everyone in the group with his stories, as Aislin knew he would.
Nov 12: 562
Nov 13: 673
Total: 17353
Aislin couldn't quite believe it, even though she'd been expecting that sort of news when she went home (if she went home? But she couldn't admit that to herself), but it was still hard to believe. Cahir simply couldn't be that persuasive. He was just one man, who happened to be able to use magic, and sneaky about it.
“I'm so glad you're here,” Aislin whispered and leaned forward to kiss him. He returned it, and soon she was blushing furiously. “Shhh! I'd be mortified if we woke anyone up.” Right on cue, Eydis rolled over noisily, mumbling in her sleep. “We should go to sleep.” She hugged him again. “We can talk tomorrow.” And she couldn't resist adding as they both settled down into their bedding, “I can't believe you're here again.”
The next morning over breakfast, Silas asked casually when the mountain passes would be properly clear.
“Going east?” Dagny replied. “Not for a couple months. Frankly, I don't know how you made it over without getting caught in a storm. STORMGODDESS must have been away, or Svetlana sheltering you. Going west is easier.”
“I'll be going that way soon,” Birgir said. “I should return to my tribe and tell of Mikkel.” A moment of silence descended, broken by Silas.
“Might Aislin and I join you?” he asked. “I would like to continue west.”
Birgir looked at him, considering, then nodded. “Two storytellers are always welcome, both on the journey and in my tribe.”
Eydis stood up and went to confer with her mother. Judging by their gestures, there was some disagreement, but Eydis won out. When she returned she too asked to join, “Would another warrior be welcome on your journey? I believe that it is time for me to travel and learn the ways of others and how to fight and hunt away from my tribe.” From her emphasis, it was clear that her mother didn't share the opinion. Nevertheless, Birgir agreed promptly with a smile.
“We will have to wait for the snows to clear sufficiently, but I anticipate that it will be no more than a few weeks. Am I right, Espen?” The shape changer nodded.
Eydis gave a little dance of happiness. “I've been looking for an excuse to go traveling for months. Years. Mother always said I was too young, or it wasn't safe,” she whispered excitedly to Aislin, who merely smiled at her enthusiasm.
“Later we should return to - our home,” Silas told Aislin. She frowned a little, hearing the catch where he nearly called it Tirhaine, but nodded.
“Soon, before Cahir can do too much more damage,” she said. “I can't believe a liar like that is the best we can have for a king. I refuse to live anywhere he rules, or pretends to rule.”
“You could just as easily fulfill that by living with us,” Birgir pointed out with a smile. “Cahir could never rule here, especially not with your warning about him.”
“I... suppose,” Aislin admitted. “I never thought about that. But it isn't home. There's too many mountains. And it's far too cold.”
They all laughed, for her hatred of the cold and snow, and perpetual inability to get properly warm in her opinion was well known after the winter.
Birgir and Espen's estimates were very accurate, impressing Aislin. Then again, she knew the pattern of rains and when spring was and the best time to pick fruit and plant trees to within a few days, so it shouldn't be a surprise that they knew the storms in their area so well.
Once again, Dagny's arrival interrupted her reading to tell her that Birgir was getting ready to leave later that day, perhaps tomorrow, and Aislin was scrambling to pack and be ready so she didn't slow down the others. This time, however, she was traveling with friends, and with Silas, not leaving Silas and all her family and friends to travel with strangers and hope they took her in out of the kindness of their hearts.
By the time she was packed and looking at her bag, she was already starting to miss FIRSTTRIBE that she had spent the winter with. She was glad Eydis and Birgir would be coming with her, but she'd miss Espen and Dagny and the others she'd gotten to know over the long months cooped up inside with nothing to do but trade stories.
Despite her speed, she was still the last one packed. Eydis had practically started packing three weeks ago, and Birgir had brought nothing with him. His packing consisted of asking people if he could borrow traveling supplies, and he had done that in the past few weeks. Silas had far more experience that she did packing quickly, living most of his life on the road.
It was a bright, clear and very cold noon when they set out. This close to the end of winter, the sun still set very soon, according to Birgir, and he was hoping to get to a shelter he knew of before the light went away. Aislin was shivering despite her bundles of clothes.
"Don't worry, you'll warm up once we get going," Eydis told her, which Aislin didn't find too comforting. Eydis was right, however, and by the time they climbed out of the valley she was unbuttoning layers and throwing back her hood, only to button back up when the went around a corner
"How far have you traveled before?" Aislin asked Eydis. "You said you wanted to travel and learn to be a hunter and warrior."
"Not far enough!" exclaimed Eydis, her cheeks flushed from excitement more than the climb. To anyone that grew up here, it was a barely noticeable incline, but to Aislin it was more than enough to get her heart going fast.
Eydis continued, "I've hunted some within a day or two's travel from home, but not much past that. There is enough game around that we rarely have to leave, and trade brings in much of the rest. Or that's what Espen says when he's talking to outsiders who travel more than we do."
Birgir was listening in and added, "My tribe travels much more than FIRSTTRIBE does, for food is not as abundant as it is here. However, I think our winter settlement is much better than yours." He grinned at Eydis' outraged expression. "You'll see what I mean when we get there."
"What? What's special about it?" Eydis demanded. "It doesn't have Espen or anyone else from here, so it can't be as awesome."
Birgir laughed at her outrageous defense of home. "Surely you've heard stories. SECONDTRIBE, remember?"
Eydis had a blank look on her face for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "Ohhhh! Well, maybe yours is better than ours in some small way. Aislin would like it better certainly."
"Like it better how? Is it warmer?"
Eydis laughed and shook her head. "You'll see when you get there."
And despite repeated asking over the next week, Aislin couldn't get anything else out of them about Birgir's more typical wintering home.
The journey was thankfully uneventful, in Aislin's opinion, though she knew that Eydis yearned for adventure. Silas charmed everyone in the group with his stories, as Aislin knew he would.